Daddy's Back
by Josephine Rayne
Summary: Tyler tries once again to fix a past and future ruined by guilt when his father comes back to Kingsport. Please read my first Tyler story ever...Completed!
1. Reminiscing

Disclaimer: I do not own In A Heartbeat   
  
A/N: I wrote a Tyler story! Can you believe it? LOL.   
  
Daddy's Back   
  
Chapter One: Reminiscing   
(Summer 1994)  
  
"Robert! Where are you going? !" Isabelle Connell yelled to her husband, who stood with bags packed and heading for the door.   
  
"I need to get away. I can't deal with this anymore." Rob replied not daring to look into her eyes.  
  
"I lost a child too! We can't just runaway from Annie's death." Isabelle yelled further. "What about Tyler, are you just going to leave him too?"   
  
He didn't answer.   
  
"Are you coming back?" Isabelle asked sad and quiet now . She had just realized her husband was leaving her.   
  
Rob grabbed the doorknob. "I just can't stay. I am sorry." the nine year old, Tyler stood up out of bed when he heard the yelling from all the way downstairs in the kitchen. Standing by the doorway he could see into his baby sister's room - Annie's room, well what use to be. It had only been three months since that day. That day that forced his father to leave and never come back.   
  
*~*  
( Three months earlier)  
  
" Mom can I go to the pool?" Tyler asked they were on vacation at Isabelle 's sister's house and Tyler was dying to go in his aunt's pool and was tired of waiting for the grown-ups to finish talking.   
  
"I don't know …. there's no one to watch you. " Isabelle replied.   
  
Tyler pointed to the bay window that was directly facing the pool, where he could already see is father and uncle talking, as three and a half year old sister Annie chimed in motion.   
  
"I'll only be an hour or so, can't you wait honey?"   
  
Tyler pouted and Annie pointed to the pool with puppy dog eyes. "Can I go Mommy?" she said.   
  
Isabelle gave up, with two kids begging and her sister calling her , she said yes not knowing it was a fatal mistake.   
  
'Fine, but only 20 minutes alright? Stay where I can see you and Tyler watch your sister ok?"   
  
Tyler smiled already jumping the steps to the pool . "Sure , Mom."   
  
"20 minutes." Isabelle repeated climbing the opposite stairs to the deck ad into the house. "Be careful."  
  
Minutes later Tyler and Annie were in the pool, Tyler already a great swimmer going to the deep end, Annie flouting on a flouting device, which Tyler though was safer then swimmies. Suddenly, almost in unison Tyler's goggles fell to the bottom of the pool as Annie fell from her device. She had lost balance and fallen in the pool , drowning in the shallow end because she could not swim. Tyler had not been watching her - not wanting to be bothered by his baby sister , a mistake he too would regret for the rest of his life.   
  
*~*  
  
Isabelle counter reacted. "We can move, far, far away from here. We can be happy again Rob I promise." But Rob opened the door, suitcase in hand.   
  
"It's too late for that… I don't know if I can ever forgive you and …him." He said breaking the reminder of his family.   
  
That was the last time Tyler never really saw his father again after that night as he stood by the kitchen door , feeling as if he, just a little boy, had caused the break up of his family. A guilt he'd spend the rest of his childhood trying to make up to a father who hardly ever saw him or returned his calls or bothered to care.   
  
*~*  
  
(Present)   
  
"Hey, Ty." William, his stepfather said as Tyler came into the living room from school.   
  
"Hi." he mumbled. Truthfully, he didn't have anything against William, he was probably a great guy. But, Tyler couldn't face that his parents were never going to be as one again. and William symbolized that to him. He symbolized Tyler's failure to get them back together.  
  
" Your mom wants to see you in the study."   
Tyler nodded and found his mother, she much happier then that night when his father left. Not forgetting but forgiving herself for what happened to Annie. Moving on with her life without her littlest baby. She only wished Tyler could too.   
  
"William said you wanted me?"  
  
" Yes I do, honey. Your father's back in town."  
*~*  
A/N: How do u like it so far? 


	2. How Can You Be Such An Ass?

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Junior year sux lol , no time for anything!  
Daddy's Back  
Chapter Two: How Can You Be Such an Ass?  
  
"How long has he been in town?" Tyler asked eager to see his father. He stood leaning against the wall facing his mother. They were playing the same old game with each other. Both not daring to let go of the past, even though neither would admit it.   
  
"Weeks." Isabelle replied almost bitterly, eyes narrowed. She was tired of lying for Rob to her son. She was just tired of all this. When would Tyler stop pretending that Robert Connell cared for anyone else besides himself. She could feel the gray hairs seeping back into her hair.. Isabelle's ex meant worry, anger, pain. Things her new life no longer consisted of.   
  
"He must have been busy." Tyler offered. Still the ever hopeful child. Still thinking of scapegoats for the invisible father for almost a decade. Two calls , four birthday cars, one Christmas present in all that time.   
  
"Why do you always defend him?" She asked, her anger rising, causing her to stand.   
  
"Why do you hate him?" Tyler said almost mimicking the tone of his mother.   
  
"Because he left our family , because he hasn't been a father to you." Isabelle signed . It was useless. Tyler left the room before she could finish, he didn't want to get into the same argument again with his mother. Besides it was true, his father had been busy, so what if he never called or wrote so see what his son was up to. It wasn't Robert's fault, it was Tyler's always, his. His was 17 years old still trying to make up for a death so long before. Tyler went upstairs to his room to call Val, but found his mom talking to his dad on the other line.   
  
"Were you ever going to tell our son you were in town? Or were you not going to see him at all?" Isabelle questioned. She hated her ex-husband for doing this every time, always lying , always thinking about himself. Even years after their divorce he still made her unhappy. Still made her angry. She wished for his sake and Tyler's he'd some day get over what happened.   
  
"I would have called."  
  
"Like hell, you treat him horribly. When are you going to get over this? It was years-"  
  
"-Just stop."  
  
"Tyler's coming by later -be nice. Pretend you're actually a father for a few minutes."  
  
Tyler hung up the phone.  
  
*~*  
"Annie!!" Tyler called looking hopelessly around the water. "Where are you?" he said continuing his search underwater till suddenly he felt the curly blond hair of his sister, pushing her on to the deck. "Mama! Daddy!" he screamed wondering why she didn't wake up What was wrong with her? "Oh God, Annie!" his mother yelled as she rocked her limp body in her arms while his father dialed 911--Tyler awoke with a start. It was the same dream. No, the same memory.   
  
"Bad dream again huh?" Val replied as she looked at Tyler sadly from her bedroom window. He came there almost once a week, throwing a rock to her window, asking to talk. "Let's go outside so we don't wake up Brooke."   
  
"Sorry to wake you." Tyler replied as he sat down on a swing on her back porch.   
  
"It's alright." she said smiling at him. "Do you want to tell me about it?"   
  
Tyler shook his head. "It was just about Annie again."   
  
Val nodded . Knowing exactly what he meant. "Let's just sit here for awhile then." she said letting the swing sway them in the night breeze.   
*~*  
"Yeah Val I'll be there in a few minutes." Tyler replied as he turned off his cell phone., speeding down the street late for his shift the next morning.   
  
"No problem." Val said the ever friend- actually still tired from her lack of sleep last night. She smiled to herself though waiting for an answer.   
  
And waited….and waited… and waited….  
  
It wasn't like Tyler to hang up without saying goodbye. Then again it was a cell phone maybe it just died?   
  
Maybe.  
  
*~* 


	3. The Bitter Heart

A/N: Sorry about the long wait! Here's the final chapter!  
Daddy's Back  
Chapter Three: The Bitter Heart  
  
Robert Connell turned over and groaned loudly, glancing over at his clock , which said it was about one in the morning. "Hello." he spoke into the receiver.   
  
"Rob?" Isabel's breaking voice came from within the phone.  
  
"What is it, Iz?" I don't have time to be yelled at."  
  
"No, it's Tyler. He's been in a car accident, on the way to your house," her voice got bitter. I had forgotten about that, Rob thought. Don't you blame it on me, I never told that kid to come here. "William and I are on the way to the hospital. I thought you'd want to come."  
  
"Yea." Rob said not really meaning it.   
  
"He's pretty seriously hurt, you might want to hurry. " she added and then hung up. Did fate or God, think this would reach him, teach him a lesson? They had been wrong. He should have felt something-anything for his only son, his only child. But, the years had made him cold. Too cold and bitter to see anything that mattered.   
  
*~*  
  
"If you would like to make a call, hang up and try again…" the operator's voice rang in her ears. She still held the phone in her hang wondering what happened. He probably just lost service on his phone she thought to herself. However, the sinking feeling in her heart told Val otherwise.  
  
Val winced at the familiar buzzing of her pager. She didn't need a call right now, not with the hours of algebra homework she had to do. she thought again.  
  
"Oh well." Val said to no one is particular and headed for the station in a matter of minutes.   
  
"Val, glad you're here. We've got a man verses automobile out on Sycamore." Hank said quickly as he, Val, and Jamie got into the ambulance. "I paged Tyler but he didn't respond yet." he added.  
  
"I guess we'll just have to met him there." Jamie mutter as the doors slammed shut and the three headed to the scene of the accident.  
  
*~*  
  
Isabel patrolled the hospital halls like a mother lion looking for her cub. She hated the waiting,. Waiting to know if her son had died or lived. The doctor had told her Tyler's prognosis didn't look good, with his internal injuries, broken leg and brain damage. She glanced over to her left as she spotted some of her son's friends, they were on the squad with Tyler she remembered. They most have brought him in, she continued thinking. She remembered when the EMTS then had brought Annie to the hospital, so cold and motionless. She had been scared then, just as she was now. She didn't want to lose her son as she had with her daughter. It didn't seem fair life had already taken so much from her.   
  
"Mrs. Weisman?" Isabel turned around.   
  
"Hi, Val. Call me Isabel." she said trying to smile. Val could still see Tyler at the crash site, the car was so badly mangled that when they first arrived it hadn't looked like anyone could have survived it. Once they could see who the victim was, Val worst fear soon became a reality.  
  
"Is there any word on Tyler?"   
  
She began to answer but was interrupted by the doctor. "How is my son?" William too, saw the doctor and rushed down the hall to hear news on his stepson.   
  
"Critical and unstable. He's suffered irreversible brain damage. Your son is brain dead. I'm so sorry but we may have to talk about whiter or not to continue life support." The doctor looked down. He hated this part of the job, telling a parent that their child wasn't going to live.  
  
"I-I don't understand. My son's going to die? Why can't you fix him, it's your job!" she cried hysterically. It wasn't fair she didn't want to become childless tonight.   
  
"I'm sorry." He repeated and sighed now came the worst part. "I'll have my colleague come by later and talk about organ donation."  
  
She could only nod in response. "May I see him?"   
  
"Of course. I am sorry." the doctor replied once more and went in search of a patient he could fix.   
  
Isabel hugged her husband and did not dare to look into the equally shocked faces of Jamie, Hank, and Val.   
  
"I'm sorry we couldn't revive your daughter. Her heart never restarted."   
  
It was the same thing all over again, even eight years later. It seemed she would always live in the shadows of Annie's death, like it was a serpent that threatened never to let go.   
  
It had taken her daughter and now it wanted Tyler.   
  
"Hey baby." she spoke gently stroking his bandaged head. How could she let him go? She wondered to herself. Isabel looked into his sleeping face, in it she saw him as an eight year old, and finally realized the one thing he and she needed. His father's forgiveness was the one thing that would give them peace.   
  
*~*  
"Hey Robert." William Weisman greeted his wife's ex. "Did Iz tell you about Ty?" Rob could see the utter sadness in William's face. He would have made a good father to Tyler, Robert thought to himself. In Rob's face wasn't the fear, anger, or grief that could be placed on the face of a father who was about to lose his child. In Rob's eyes were nothing, absolutely nothing. Why am I here? He thought again, I don't belong here. This was a place for people who cared, Jamie's and Hank's and Val's and William's and Isabel's expression could tell him that.   
  
"Thank God you're here. You have to tell Tyler you forgive him." she didn't want to lose her son but even though the doctor's told her he was clinically dead, Isabel felt that he was in pain. His body wanted out even if Tyler wasn't ready to leave.   
  
"What? I only can to see what you wanted. I will not forgive him! He killed her." he said to her.  
  
"You have to. Tyler was just a boy when she died. It wasn't his fault. If you want to continue blaming me then fine, but stop blaming him. Tyler's going to die Rob, are you that heartless? You've made his life horrible since he was a little boy. Can't you give him peace now?"  
  
"I won't pretend that we were the perfect father and son, I won't and I won't tell him I forgive him." He walked to his car, never looking back.   
  
Isabel walked back into Tyler's room hours later, after she became sure of what she was about to do, this time with William standing by her. "Hey sweetie. Your dad was here earlier, he wanted to tell you this but was to proud to say it. He wants you to know he doesn't blame you for Annie's death. Can you hear me honey? It's ok you can go now." she said kissing his cheek then nodding at the doctor. She continued holding his hand as the monitor went into a loud winning sound that echoed through the room. She lied to him so he could be at serenity, so they all could.   
  
One day you'll realize you've made a mistake and it'll be too late to change it, You've made bigger mistake then I did with Annie. You abandoned your son.   
  
She placed the letter in the envelope and walked away from Rob's house this time she was the one who never looked back. 


End file.
